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MONACO, Dec. 9, 2013 /CNW/ - Venturi Automobiles today announced a joint
venture with award-winning actor and environmental activist Leonardo
DiCaprio to enter a team in the new FIA Formula E Championship - the
world's first fully-electric race series beginning in September 2014.

Based in Monaco, the new Venturi Grand Prix Formula E Team has been
co-founded by DiCaprio and Gildo Pallanca Pastor, founder of pioneering
EV manufacturer Venturi Automobiles, together with Bert Hedaya and
Francesco Costa.

Formula E is a new FIA Championship using electric single-seater race
cars capable of speeds in excess of 225km/h. The series will compete in
the heart of 10 of the world's leading cities including Beijing, Los
Angeles and London. Ten teams, each with two drivers, will go
head-to-head to create a unique and exciting racing series designed to
appeal to a new generation of motorsport fan whilst accelerating the
electric vehicle market and promoting sustainability.

"The future of our planet depends on our ability to embrace
fuel-efficient, clean-energy vehicles," DiCaprio said. "Venturi Grand
Prix has shown tremendous foresight in their decision to create an
environmentally friendly racing team, and I am happy to be a part of
this effort."

Venturi Grand Prix will now be put forward to the FIA for approval as
the tenth and final team to enter the new zero emission series. They
join international names from around the globe with IndyCar outfits
Andretti Autosport and Dragon Racing, Asia's China Racing, Super Aguri
and Mahindra Racing, and European squads Drayson Racing, e.dams, Audi
Sport ABT and Virgin Racing.

The team is centred around the award-winning Venturi Automobiles, a
leader in high performance electric vehicles developing a range of
sports, urban and utilitarian cars, as well as being the current
holders of the world land speed record for an electric vehicle with
495kph (307mph). The team also plans to become a constructor from the
second season, building its own Formula E car using a powertrain based
on the one used in its 3,000hp electric streamliner - Venturi VBB-3 -
unveiled earlier this year in Wendover, Utah, by H.S.H. Prince Albert
II of Monaco.

"Venturi has been a pioneer in electric high performance vehicles for
more than a decade and Formula E gives us the fantastic opportunity to
further improve our advanced technologies through motorsport, as well
as compete all over the world," said Gildo. "It also gives us the
chance to be part of a new racing programme with a project that really
shares Venturi's values for clean mobility, innovation in the field of
electric propulsion and energy efficiency optimisation."

"It's an honour and a pleasure to welcome the Venturi Grand Prix team as
the tenth and final team of the FIA Formula E Championship," said
Alejandro Agag, CEO of series promoters Formula E Holdings. "Gildo is a
true pioneer in electric racing. From the desert of Salt Lake to
Antarctica, his passion and vision pushes forward the technology
barriers of what can be done with an electric car. But Gildo is not
alone in this venture. Global entrepreneurs Francesco Costa and Bert
Hedaya bring great experience and energy to the team.

"And of course, I want to give a very special welcome to our
Championship to Leonardo DiCaprio. Very few environmental leaders have
helped more than him to spread the message of sustainability around the
world. Having people like him and Richard Branson - global ambassadors
for the environment - is a privilege for our Championship and will
greatly help us to spread the use of electric cars in cities around the
planet."